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FT4Web by Investors FastTrack

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Multiple Family Error

Last updated 01/31/2014

This error message is caused by having, or trying to create, more than one family file of the same name.

FastTrack-Provided Families

FastTrack provides families and maintains them as files in the folders.
C:\FT\FTDEF         (for mutual funds)
C:\FT\FT4WIN\SFTDEF (for stocks)

User-Created Families

Users may create and save families as files into the
C:\FT\USERDEF folder (may include fund and stock issues)
The problem occurs when the USERDEF folder contains, or you try to create in USERDEF, a family file that has the same name as a family already in the FTDEF/SFTDEF, FastTrack-provided families, and folders. Whenever you save a family in FT it goes to the USERDEF folder. There is no option to save it elsewhere.

How did this Happen?

  • You may have used some other program to create families.
  • You may have done a DOS or Windows copy command to copy families between folders.
  • The problem should never happen when using only FT4WEB to create families.
  • It may happen when using both FT4DOS and FT4WEB. FT4DOS can create family name that duplicates a family name in SFTDEF (Stocks). While this doesn't bother FT4DOS it does cause a problem in FT4WEB.
  • From time to time, FastTrack sends new FastTrack-Provided families. It may happen that we use a family name that duplicates yours. Sorry . . .you must rename your family. Consider starting your families' names with a non-alphabetic character to avoid this problem. All FastTrack-Provided family names start with the letters A-Z.

How to Solve?

The error message within FT4Web tells you the problem "FamilyName". Make a note of the name.

Use the "find file" utility in Windows to find all occurrences of the FamilyName.FAM files.

Decide which you wish to keep and delete or rename the others using standard DOS or Windows file rename/deletion commands.

FastTrack only tells you about the first duplicated family and then suppresses further similar error messages for about a minute. Be suspicious that you may have multiple duplicated families.

Notes

  1. If you delete families in the FastTrack-provided folders, they will come back during a FastTrack Online Upgrade. If you then have duplicated names, the messages will begin again.
  2. Be sure to use names that are valid for DOS if you plan to use FT4WEB- created families for FT4DOS.